Voëlvry 2024 Bottling

The word Voëlvry means “free as a bird” and, in some contexts, might mean “outlaw”, but in our case, it represents exploration, curiosity and the freedom to do so.

From time to time, specific parcels of vines or aspects of the South African landscape might cross our paths, and tiny quantities of these wines might get bottled occasionally.

In our first mixed case, the following wines make up the collection: 1 x 2021 Robertson Chardonnay, 2 x 2022 Swartland Pinotage, 3 x 2023 Swartland Rosé. We packed the boxes according to the production volumes.

2021 Robertson Chardonnay

It is a commonly known fact that some of the best Chardonnay bottlings in the world stem from soils with high levels of limestone/chalk. In South Africa, some of our more significantly positioned limestone sites are to be found in Robertson, which is also a reason for the magnitude of the great Méthode Cap Classic that derives from this region.

The grapes were whole cluster basket-pressed, a short settling and fermented in older Burgundian casks. After primary fermentation, we left the wines on the lees for 11 months. It is a fuller style of Chardonnay with an underlying freshness.

2022 Swartland Pinotage

Pinotage in South Africa has had a turbulent ride. Initially, the wine producers needed to learn how to vinify the wines correctly. Then, a combination of our nation bashing the image of Pinotage and the general misinterpretation of the grape variety led to some of its popularity plummeting.

However, several incredible producers pushed forward, and today, an array of fantastic examples is produced. Our interpretation of the grape is not an extracted style nor an under-extracted style, but rather the grape just sitting comfortably with moderate extraction at 13% alcohol in the bottle.

It is a beautiful wine, and we recommend an hour of decantation in the first four years.

2023 Swartland Rosé

Grenache is one of the most planted grape varieties in the world, and some of the most notable Rosé bottlings that rule the current day stem from this variety.

We decided to produce 3 barrels of Rosé if someone happened to stumble over a crayfish. For our inland friends, a seared salmon will also do the trick.

Drink in its youth and freshness.